The Real Reason Stadia Is Bombing

The Google Stadia Founder's Edition launches tomorrow, November 19, with the Premiere Edition slated to follow later in the month, yet, the world doesn't seem ready for this revolution in gaming. Through Stadia, players can stream games to just about any device and play them while Google handles all that pesky processing. Sounds great, right? So, why is the platform getting such lackluster reviews?

According to reviewers, the service works. But that's about all it has going for it right now. After Google announced Stadia, gamers expressed concerns about lag issues; fortunately, the creators seem to have avoided this pitfall. That said, no one seems to be a fan of the $69 controller and $10 subscription fee. Sure, the Pro subscription comes with some discounts but Stadia doesn't include a collection of free games — you still have to pay for every title in addition to the hardware purchase and monthly fee. 

Stadia also has a limited number of games to choose from. The platform's initial underwhelming lineup included a single launch exclusive: survival horror adventure Gylt. Perhaps Google felt gylt-y (get it?) about their decision because they recently beefed up their library with ten additional games like Attack on Titan: Final Battle 2. Many of these games have been out long enough that players have already purchased them on other platforms and Google has provided little incentive for purchasing them again on Stadia.

Google Stadia is built on the concept that you can play on the fly but no one's connection seems up to the task. Stadia reportedly doesn't work on LTE and achieving real 4K quality requires incredibly speedy internet. For those of us with spotty connections and/or data caps, Stadia won't work in the way it is meant to. Even the most steady connections don't appear to be rendering true 4K or even 1080p. 

Stadia failed to produce enough hype to overlook these glaring flaws and, as is often the case with new ventures, Google seems to have over-promised and under-delivered. Maybe the developers will iron out the kinks over time. Or maybe it's just an ill-conceived venture. For now, Stadia's fate remains undecided.